Dreams and visions are among the avenues God chooses for communicating with us. When we are asleep and God conveys a message, that is a dream; when we are awake and see with our natural eyes, that is a vision. Both are supernatural, and both are mentioned in Joel 2:28–29 as a sign:

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”

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Have you taken your place on the wall?

Joel’s prophecy was about a future outpouring of the Lord’s Spirit. Hundreds of years later, in the book of Acts, Luke repeats this prophecy as partially fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, though now there was a slight difference in wording:

And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy (Acts 2:17–18).

Luke adds the phrase “in the last days” — and if we look at the signs of the times and how biblical prophecy is being fulfilled in our day, we can deduce that we are indeed in the last days before the Lord’s return. And because we are in those last days, we can expect that there will be more dreams and visions of what God is doing and what is to come.

Recently, I was so encouraged by an email that IFA received from its Indiana state prayer leader, Jeff Britton:

On Saturday 12-10-22 3:30 AM

I woke up slowly, I was aware I was praying in the spirit … I was aware of a fiery sphere slowly rolling into my consciousness the more I became aware. It looked like a spoked wagon wheel, but not just one, but maybe a dozen of wheels all rotating from the central hub. It spun in at least three dimensions. I was not afraid since I was aware it was the power of the Lord. It was intersecting the targets of the prayers I had gone to sleep holding in my mind. It was rolling over the prayer targets of the IFA Indiana prayer group.

I pointed to other targets and named them. This crackling ball of flame quickly rolled over and consumed the dark resistance surrounding those targets. It also released the freedom of the Holy Spirit for the people and the dynamics involved. I wanted to wake up further, however I could see this ball of power fade a little as I did. Instead I continued to pray in the spirit and relaxed, allowing myself to return to sleep, believing this power would continue to roll through my mind and spirit.

How encouraging is that vision? What happened to Jeff Britton is a biblical experience called an open vision; it’s a movie-type image unfolding before your eyes. Jeff was conscious and aware of what God was showing him. One example of this would be Peter’s trance on the rooftop (Acts 10:9–16).

What Jeff saw was straight from Scripture:

Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels (Ezekiel 1:20–21).

Jeff explains what he felt God was speaking through this vision:

I woke with the conviction that G-D conducts these “search and destroy” missions all the time as an answer to our prayers. As intercessors, praying at a distance and INTO mysterious circumstances, we seldom see the results. What I felt I received was a sneak peek into what was happening behind the scenes. I knew G-D was working whether or not I saw physical evidence of it in the situations he engaged.

Hallelujah! God is still at work, even when our natural eyes cannot see it. Thank You, Jesus!

Jeff saw the wheel of God, and I believe this is no coincidence. In the book of Ezekiel, the prophet sees a wheel, just as Jeff has described, though this one was covered with “eyes.” Many Bible scholars believe the eyes of this wheel represent God’s omnipresence: His divine ability to see all and to be everywhere. After all, King David asks in Psalm 139: … where shall I flee from your presence? (verse 7).

Matthew Henry’s commentary says the wheels represent the providence of God: The wheel is near the living creatures; the angels are employed as ministers of God’s providence. The spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels; the same wisdom, power, and holiness of God, that guide and govern the angels, by them order all events in this lower world.

This would be the omniscience of God: He knows all. We understand also that despite all the evil in this world, God is still omnipotent. He is all-powerful! He is not at all surprised at where we are as a nation, and even now He is working through the darkness; that is His providence.

Jeff senses that even in darkness the power and presence of God are intersecting — meeting — at the very place of strategic intercession that Indiana has been praying for. Even as Jeff pointed out and named the darkness and resistance, the fire of God would consume that darkness; the Spirit of God targeted the resistance and brought freedom to those involved.

What a beautiful picture of the power of intercession! I pray that if you are in need of encouragement today, you will receive it now. God responds to the prayers of His people. Most interesting, right after Ezekiel’s encounter with the glory of God in chapter 1, he receives his call as a watchman in the very next chapter.

He was sent to intercede for his nation and to warn of judgment for Israel’s continued idolatry and rebellion toward God. Even though the Israelites were in exile during this period, God showed His glory to Ezekiel through a message.

Will you trust that though it seems as if evil is flourishing, God is at work behind the scenes? Will you dare to believe that as we fast, pray, and intercede in our homes and churches for our cities, our states, and our nation, that God will send His fire and consume all demonic resistance? Even if our physical eyes cannot see the results, will you dare to trust the omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence of God? Will you trust the providence of God?

If you have been discouraged, intercessor, I charge you today: Get back up! Go back to that post you left because you were weary. And if in reading this, you were as encouraged as I was, let’s pray:

Holy Father, 

Thank You that even when we can’t see the end from the beginning, You can. You are already there. Thank You that You are long-suffering, patient, merciful, and just. We know that even in the darkness, You are moving in response to the tears, travail, and intercession of Your people. 

We pray for every intercessor — young or mature, male or female; Your word has assured us that as You pour out Your Spirit, we will see dreams and visions, and our sons and daughters will prophesy. This promise is for every Spirit-filled believer, and we receive it. We pray for an impartation of dreams and visions to every intercessor. Let us see in the night as we wait on You, and as we watch and pray. 

We pray for every intercessor who has experienced blockages in his or her dream life; as we set our minds and hearts on You afresh, speak to us yet again. Open our eyes, so that we might see what You want us to see and be partners with You. It is time to dream again.

Thank You, Lord, for giving us the power of prayer. Despite what we see in the natural, we will fix our eyes on You, Lord. You are unfathomable, incomparable, and unfailing, and all our hope is in You. 

We pray in agreement with Jeff’s dream. Lord, as we stand in the gap for our cities and our nation, let Your holy fire fall.

Send Your angels to eradicate the demonic strongholds and resistance we are facing. 

We pray for a move of deliverance in this nation as we have never seen before. We thank You for the freedom that will spring forth in cities, states, and entire regions as a result of their being touched by Your presence. Thank You that we will see regions set apart and protected by Your presence.

When Your presence is among us, everything changes.

In the name of Yeshua we pray this, and all for your glory. Amen.

James 5:16 gives us every reason to be confident in expecting God’s answer:

… The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Were you encouraged by Jeff’s vision? Share your thoughts and prayers in the comments.

IFA contributing writer Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor to listen to her podcast, Something To Share. Photo by Maxim Tajer on Unsplash.